“Surface” (2005-06, NBC), episode 1 – “Surface” (7 p.m. Mondays on NBC) is about the Outsiders. The premiere played like one of those Peter Benchley miniseries about sea monsters rising from the deep, complete with shallow characterizations. […]
“Threshold” (2005-06, CBS), episode 1 – “Threshold” (8 p.m. Fridays on CBS) is about the Insiders. It’s what “The X-Files” would have been if we saw the point of view of the government coverup. But we […]
“Invasion” (2005-06, ABC), episode 1 – Last week’s season premieres of “Lost” and “Invasion” (8 and 9 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC) featured a level of suspense above and beyond “What’s in the hatch?” and “What are those […]
“Lost” Season 2 (2005-06, ABC), episode 1 – “Lost” is not the best show on TV (it’s not even the best show in its time slot). The weaknesses became apparent last season when Claire (Emilie […]
“Desperate Housewives” Season 1 (2004-05, ABC), episodes 1-8 – Marc Cherry’s “Desperate Housewives” (8 p.m. Sundays on ABC) has one central mystery: Why did one of the housewives (Brenda Strong, who provides all-knowing voiceovers) kill […]
“Lost” Season 1 (2004-05, ABC), episodes 1-11 – I was hooked on “Lost” (7 p.m. Wednesdays on ABC) from the get-go. The pilot came complete with a plane crash and a monster; if it had been […]
John’s “Veronica Mars” Season 1 flashback review, johnvhansen.com, June 12, 2013 “Veronica Mars” Season 1 (2004-05, UPN), episodes 1-9 – “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives” get the magazine covers, but “Veronica Mars” (8 p.m. Tuesdays on UPN) […]
“The Langoliers” – Directed by Tom Holland, “The Langoliers” is among the elite TV movies, Stephen King movies and time-travel movies. It works much like a mystery: The plot twists and turns like a roller […]
John’s “The Relic” flashback review, Sept. 27, 2020 “The Relic” – The book by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child is the scariest novel ever written, so there was really no way director Peter Hyams could […]
“Breakdown” – A gripping yarn from start to finish, director Jonathan Mostow’s “Breakdown” stars Kurt Russell as an ordinary guy on vacation out West when his wife (Kathleen Quinlan) is kidnapped and his world is […]